Kingfish slip past 'Gators in OT
February 2, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Louisiana IceGators News Release
Lafayette, LA â Jason Norrie scored with 2:12 left in overtime to lift the slumping Baton Rouge Kingfish to a 5-4 victory over the Louisiana IceGators at the Cajundome. Marquis Mathieu scored twice and added an assist, and Niklas Sundberg made 42 saves for the Kingfish, who snapped an eight-game winless skid (0-7-1).
Shawn McNeil, Rod Sarich, Shawn Skiehar and Chris Taliercio each scored for the IceGators, who rallied from a two-goal deficit and still have just one regulation loss in their last seven (4-1-2). Kyle Kettles made his 11th straight start, tying the IceGators' franchise record, and made 24 saves.
A wild second period saw five goals, but neither team could break the 4-4 tie in the third period.
At the 2:48 mark of overtime, Mike Kiesman, from along the left boards, flipped a shot towards Kettles. Norrie, in front and falling down, deflected the shot up over Kettles for the game-winner. Norrie was hit hard on the play, but did walk off the ice while holding his arm.
The IceGators, who surrendered 20 combined power plays Friday and Saturday, got off on the wrong foot again tonight. Semir Ben-Amor took down Kiesman near the boards just 20 seconds in and was called for a boarding major.
Baton Rouge didn't immediately score, but J.P. Morin was whistled for high-sticking at the 1:51 mark, resulting in a 5-on-3 for the full two minutes. Mathieu took a touch pass from Trevor Demmans at the edge of the right circle and got one past at the 2:29 mark.
With the Kingfish still on the power play, Jerry Gernander scored just 59 seconds later to make it a 2-0 lead. Norrie's shot from the low slot went underneath Kettles and came out just shy of the goal line. Gernander was there to tap the puck into an empty net, his fifth tally â first on the power play.
After three Baton Rouge power plays, the IceGators finally went on the man advantage at the 10:04 mark when Tom Kaiman was sent off for interference. That's when Louisiana got within one, with 8:27 left in the period. Cal Benazic launched a shot from the point, and Skiehar was there between the circles for his first power play tally in his IceGators career â his fourth goal this season.
McNeil evened the score with his team-best 28th goal at the 6:31 mark of the second, with Bryan Richardson in the box for tripping.
Benazic made a nice play to keep the puck in the zone, getting it to Nathan Rempel in the high slot. Rempel touched a pass ahead to McNeil, whose one-timer from the middle of the right circle beat Sundberg high glove side.
Louisiana used another power-play goal, this one by Sarich, to go on top with 9:48 expired in the second. The tally came with 2:22 left on a four-minute high-sticking penalty to Curtis Menzul. Kenny Corupe, behind the net, got the puck to Taliercio along the left boards. Taliercio slid a pass to a back-pedalling Sarich at the point, and Sarich's one-timer clanked off the left post and into the back of the net. The tally was the rookie's third of the season.
The Kingfish evened the score at 3-3 on the game's first even-strength goal, with 7:19 left in the second. Dwayne Blais capitalized on a mad scramble in front and put the puck past Kettles for his first point in nine games with Baton Rouge.
Taliercio put the IceGators back on top at the 14:04 mark with an unlikely tally. The rookie's shot from the point went high and off the dasher behind the goal, banked up over the net and off Sundberg's back into the net.
Baton Rouge wasted no time getting even, as Mathieu scored on a partial breakaway 34 seconds later to make it 4-4. Sam Paquet sent a headman pass to Mathieu, who slid one by Kettles' blocker for his second of the game and 11th of the season.
The IceGators went 25 full minutes without behing shorthanded until Derek Boogaard was whistled for boarding at 8:21 of the third. McNeil nearly scored with the man down with 10:40 left. Sundberg stopped his first attempt, and with the puck bouncing in the crease, the whistle blew.
Louisiana got its chance for a man advantage with 9:18 left, when Paquet got called for charging. Seconds after Corupe won the faceoff, he streaked in on Sundberg, who sat on the puck.
Louisiana finished 3-for-8 on the power play, while Baton Rouge went 2-for-5.
Gator Bites:
The IceGators have held the lead after one period just twice in their last nine games, and only three times in their last nine home games.
Kettles is 8-1-2 at home.
Twenty three of McNeil's 28 goals have either given Louisiana the lead or tied the game.
McNeil has 122 career goals off 48 netminders. Tonight was his first goal off Sundberg that counted. McNeil beat the goalie in a shootout for the game-winner on New Year's Eve.
Kettles' 11 straight games started ties Marc Delorme's stretch from February 19-March 13, 1996.
McNeil has nine points (2g, 7a) in a four-game point streak.
• Discuss this story on the ECHL message board...
ECHL Stories from February 2, 2003
- Kingfish slip past 'Gators in OT - Louisiana IceGators
- Kingfish knock off IceGators, 5-4 in OT - Baton Rouge Kingfish
- Royals Split with Checkers, Hit Road this Week - Reading Royals
- Storm Calm Sea Wolves, 5-2 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Chiefs Comeback To Win - Johnstown Chiefs
- All Along the Coast - ECHL
- Louisiana game notes vs. Baton Rouge - Louisiana IceGators
- Falcons Storm from Behind for Victory - Fresno Falcons
- Ling's Hat Trick Helps Bombers Trip Express, 5-1 - Dayton Bombers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
